HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 12-12-23; 8-h - Approval of the Orange County Transportation Services Public Involvement Plan 1
ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: December 12, 2023
Action Agenda
Item No. 8-h
SUBJECT: Approval of the Orange County Transportation Services Public Involvement
Plan
DEPARTMENT: Orange County Transportation Services (OCTS)
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Proposed OCTS PIP Nishith Trivedi, Transportation Director,
919-245-2007
PURPOSE: To approve the Orange County Transportation Services (OCTS) Public Involvement
Plan.
BACKGROUND: This Plan serves as the Orange County Transportation Services Department's
community participation practices as media and messaging options are evolving, print newspaper
subscriptions are declining, and access to the internet varies considerably across the County.
This Public Involvement Plan (PIP) is a proactive means of engaging residents, business, youth,
seniors, and anyone interested in shaping the County's multimodal transportation system and a
means of ensuring clear, concise and engaging material for all transportation users.
OCTS staff revised the Plan based on all the comments received. To date comments were
received from the:
• Orange County Staff Work Group
• Orange County Communication Relations Department
• Orange County Office of Equity and Inclusion
All comments have been addressed and additional improvements have been made. These
improvements to the attached Plan include adding Goal, Implementation and Amendment
sections based on best practices.
Transportation Advisory Services
Recommended Approval on November 15, 2023
Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard)
Recommended Approval on November 20, 2023
FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact with this item. The final plan will determine
potential projects and processes necessary to implement the plan.
SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable
to this item:
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• GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND
INEQUITY
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color;
religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender, or sexual orientation; national origin or ethnic
background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential, or economic status.
• GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY
The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs, and funding necessary
for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their
dependents.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: The following Orange County Environmental Goal impact is
applicable to this item:
• CLEAN OR AVOIDED TRANSPORTATION
Implement programs that monitor and improve local and regional air quality by: 1)
promoting public transportation options; 2) decreasing dependence on single-occupancy
vehicles, and 3) otherwise minimizing the need for travel.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends the Board approve the attached Orange
County Transportation Services Public Involvement Plan.
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PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT
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List of Acronyms
B/C Ratio Benefit-Cost Ratio
BG MPO Burlington/Graham Metropolitan Planning Organization
BTS Bureau of Transportation Statistics
C/B Analysis Cost-Benefit Analysis
CAMPO Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
CFR Code of Federal Regulations
CIP Capital Improvement Program
CMAQ Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality
CMS Congestion Management System
DCHC MPO Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
FFY Federal Fiscal Year (Oct 1 - Sep 30)
FHWA Federal Highway Administration
FTA Federal Transit Administration
GIS Geographic Information System
HTF Highway Trust Fund
LPA Lead Planning Agency
LRTP Long-Range Transportation Plan
MOU Memorandum of Understanding
MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization
MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area
MTIP Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program
NCBOT North Carolina Board of Transportation
NCDOT North Carolina Department of Transportation
NEPA National Environmental Policy Act
OC Orange County
OCTS Orange County Transportation Services
OUTBoard Orange Unified Transportation Board
RPO Rural Planning Organization
SE DATA Socio-Economic (social, economic) Data
SIP State Implementation Plan
SPOT Strategic Prioritization of Transportation
STIP State Transportation Improvement Program
STBG DA Surface Transportation Block Grant Direct Attributable
TARPO Triangle Area Rural Planning Organization
TAZ Traffic Analysis Zone
TCC Technical Coordinating Committee
TIP Transportation Improvement Program
TRM Triangle Regional Model
USDOT United States Department of Transportation
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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Mission ..............................................................................................................................1
Purpose.............................................................................................................................1
Goal...................................................................................................................................2
Objectives .........................................................................................................................3
Community Involvement Process 4
IdentifyStakeholders.........................................................................................................4
ContactList .......................................................................................................................5
PublicNotice .....................................................................................................................5
Community Meeting and Outreach....................................................................................6
SmallGroup Meetings .......................................................................................................7
CommunitySurveying.........................................................................................................7
PublicHearings .................................................................................................................8
Staff Working Group Administration 9
Tools and Techniques 10
Visuals.............................................................................................................................10
SocialMedia....................................................................................................................10
Reaching communities of concern 11
Environmental Justice .....................................................................................................11
Methodology - Determining County Thresholds ..............................................................14
Measurements and Evaluations......................................................................................26
Quantitative.....................................................................................................................26
Qualitative .......................................................................................................................26
StandardizeReporting.....................................................................................................27
Monitoringand Evaluation...............................................................................................27
Implementation 29
ActivityDescriptions ........................................................................................................30
WrittenMaterials .............................................................................................................30
In-Person Engagement ...................................................................................................30
VirtualEngagement.........................................................................................................30
Mediaand Ads ................................................................................................................31
DiverseEngagement.......................................................................................................31
Respondto Comments....................................................................................................31
Amendment 33
MinorAmendment: ..........................................................................................................33
MajorAmendments: ........................................................................................................33
Appendix 34
Definitions .......................................................................................................................34
Resources.......................................................................................................................34
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INTRODUCTION
The Orange County Transportation Services Department (referred to as "the Department")
serves the community in a transparent manner and ensures the County residents are an integral
part of the transportation decision making process, plans, programs and projects. To achieve
this goal, staff must be aware of and sensitive to the County's changing population and culture
as well as the needs across neighboring areas when developing and implementing community
participation, outreach, and engagement programs. Media and messaging options are evolving,
print newspaper subscriptions are declining, and access to the internet varies considerably
across the county. This Public Involvement Plan (referred to as "the Plan") serves as a proactive
means of engaging residents, business, youth, seniors, and anyone interested in shaping the
county's multimodal transportation system and a means of ensuring clear, concise and engaging
material for all transportation users.
Mission
The department is responsible for transportation duties in all areas of the County in collaboration
with local towns which consists of Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Mebane. Department
staff is committed to creating a culture of respect, diversity, equity, and inclusion for the
communities we serve. We are committed to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of
all people in accordance with all laws, regulations, and policies. It is the policy of the department
that no person shall, on the grounds of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex,
pregnancy, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, political affiliation, National
Guard or veteran status, genetic information, or disability be excluded from participation in, be
denied the benefits of transportation, or be subjected to discrimination.
We are dedicated to ensuring all Orange County residents have the access and opportunity to
provide meaningful input, to participate in departmental services and to benefit from funding
decisions made by the agency. Department staff believes that diverse perspectives can only
make us better as we work to serve the people of Orange County.
Purpose
The purpose of this plan is to ensure consistency, transparency and collaboration across the
county and with regional, state and federal partners in understanding and implementation of
community participation, outreach, and engagement strategies for all stages of the transportation
planning and decision-making processes. The department recognizes community engagement
as an active and intentional dialogue between our diverse residents, professional staff, and
elected officials. For communities to be meaningfully involved in decision-making processes and
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for the department to incorporate local community knowledge, proper tools must be used to
•.•- with communities.
Goal
Meaningful: Multiple engagement efforts and customized to each project
Report
development key decision point.
Ensure Access: Apply different methods that are understood and
attractive to the participants.
Diverse & Engaging: Use range of outreach methods to reach all
people and encourage participation
Documentation: Target and measure engagement gaps and
successes. Document public engagement activities and inputs for
review by the public, administrators, and decision makers.
Build Trust: Close the loop; ensure all participants receive follow-up
information about outcomes.
Increase Participation: Leverage engagement efforts by the County as well as
municipal partners for outreach mechanisms to broaden reach to both general
public and targeted groups
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Objectives
By applying the guidance and best practices presented in this plan, the department aims to:
• Create better opportunities and mechanisms to encourage community involvement.
• Promote respectful and meaningful dialogue between community members, organizations,
stakeholders and the professional people responsible for the transportation network.
• Work together with the community on all transportation related issues and programs to find
collaborative solutions.
• Build trust with the community to strengthen community ties and partnerships.
• Work with community organizations to identify shared goals and opportunities for
collaboration.
• Provide consistent communication about all levels of transportation regulations, practices,
and programs.
• Improve community engagement by bridging the language barrier.
• Tailor communication to specific age groups and encourage all ages to participate in the
process.
• Identify underserved communities, as needed, and develop tailored communication plans
that best serve their specific cultural and logistical needs.
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COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROCESS
The department manages all of Orange County's transportation plans, policies, and programs
for all modes of travel. Each of these are unique and require specific pubic engagement
processes. Some are formal such as federal and state grants that require public hearings in
accordance with local and state laws. Others are informal yet go through rigorous community
involvement processes from community meetings to County transportation advisory boards
before being presented to the Board of County Commissioners for approval and implementation.
The Plan shows the breakdown of all county transportation plans, policies and programs and the
involvement processes each require, based on local, state, and federal regulations. The list can
be found below.
List Public Processes
Corridor Study Stakeholders, Website, Consultant
Notice, Community Meetings, Core Technical Team (CTT)
and Workshops or Charrettes Advisory & Policy Boards
Transportation Plans Stakeholders, Website, Rural and Metropolitan
(Comprehensive and Metropolitan) Notice, Community Meetings, Planning Organizations
and Public Hearing (RPO/MPO)
Transit Plan Stakeholders, Website, Consultant
Notice, Community Meetings, Staff Working Group
and Workshops or Charrettes Advisory & Policy Boards
County Bike/Ped. Plan Stakeholders, Website, Consultant
Notice, Community Meetings, Core Technical Team (CTT)
and Workshops or Charrettes Advisory & Policy Boards
Each of these processes are described in detail below.
Identify Stakeholders
The department maintains the following list of key organizations and updates it as others are
identified. The list is used to broadcast all transportation plans and programs seeking community
involvement including:
• County and city officials and staff, including advisory boards.
• Schools and Universities
• Regional, state and federal transportation partners, including and not limited to:
o Burlington Graham Metropolitan Planning Organization
o Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
o Central Pine Rural Planning Organization
o North Carolina Department of Transportation
o U.S. Department of Transportation
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• Cultural communities such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning,
Asian, Hispanic, Minorities, Youth, etc.
• Environmental Justice Communities of Concerns
• Tribal and other communities
Resources to help identify stakeholders that are not common to every project may include:
• Environmental groups and faith-based organizations
• PORCH and TABLE serving food insecure populations
• Minority associations
• Orange County and Chapel Hill-Carrboro chambers of commerce and local business groups
• Social service agencies for the disabled, elderly, children, unemployed, etc.
• Asian American, Latin American, and Native American groups like Occaneechi Band of the
Saponi Nation
• Civic group like Rotary, Kiwanis, Schley Grange, Lions, Exchange and Civitan Clubs
Staff maintains an updated email list that includes many neighborhood organizations, interest
groups, as well as elected and appointed officials. Through the mechanisms noted below, these
contacts keep people informed about the department, fosters input on transportation projects
and issues, and is a source of referrals to additional individuals and groups. Attempts will be
made to identify stakeholders that reflect the diversity of the Orange County population.
e-ublic NOULe
This technical term is also referred to as press release or community notice, serves as an
effective means of communication and information exchange with the community and is
essential for maintaining community understanding as well as successful implementation of
transportation programs and projects. This tool will be issued for all major transportation plans
and some may include legal advertisements in the local paper. All community notices will be
posted on the department website Link and are issued in accordance with County Public Notice
policy. Community notification will be conducted in accordance with Title VI and related county
processes. It is important for the department to practice different methods of communication and
outreach to ensure notices reach the wider community. Possible supplementary methods for
providing notice include:
Flyers: Are the simplest means of getting the word out and are often posted at various locations
across the county and shared with member jurisdictions. They are an effective means of starting
a dialogue with a community. The County has a host of venues where flyers are posted and
community meetings held, including and not limited to:
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• County and town facilities, including transit vehicles and bus stops
• Schools, universities and places of worship
• Cultural centers
• Locally owned businesses
• Restaurants
In many communities, information about events happening in the area are circulated via social
media platforms, such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter). Given the wide reach and broad
use of these platforms, the Department publicizes events and notices on social media accounts
like Facebook (link) and website (link). These notices are also shared on Orange County's
website (link), flyers will be provided in multiple languages, the two primary languages will be
English and Spanish. Other languages will be added as resources are identified and
incorporated into the plan.
Email lists are an additional method for distributing notices. Public can contact any Orange
County Transportation Service staff to be added to the email list. List of all department staff is
located in the appendix. Interested parties may request to be added to the Department's email
list.
Radio can be an effective method to share community notices or events. Radio ads or outreach
may be considered where appropriate and as resources allow.
Community Meeting and Outreach
The aim of community outreach is to provide well-planned, inclusive, meaningful community
engagement opportunities as part of the transportation decision-making process. Outreach
methods will include posting information on the department website, distributing flyers, placing
print newspaper advertisements, utilizing social media and e-mail blasts, local television news
or radio, and engaging in personal communications with interested parties.
Community meeting refers to any meeting that is open to the community, this includes: Orange
Unified Transportation Board, Staff Working Group, Orange County Board of County
Commissioners, Corridor Study Community meetings and workshops. They are also:
• Conducted at convenient times and location, accessible and along transit route.
• Available in a variety of predetermined formats to serve diverse audiences.
• Advertise through multiple means to inform the community of community meetings.
The department will provide assistance to persons with disabilities or Limited English Proficiency
as outlined in the Title VI Plan (link).
• Meeting rescheduling or cancellations will be posted to the website at least seven days before
the revised meeting will occur.
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Small Group Meetings
A small group meeting is a targeted measure where a meeting is held with a specific group,
usually at their request or consent. The department typically uses two resources for conducting
Small Group Meetings. The initial resource are the community centers owned and operated by
Orange County. These Community Centers are:
Cedar Grove Community Efland-Cheeks Community Rogers Road Community
Center Center Center
:11 NC NC :• 117 Richmond '• 101 Edgar
Hillsborough, Mebane, NC 27302 . •- •
The second resource is based on the Environmental Justice analysis presented in this plan.
Overlapping Communities of Concerns are targeted to identify specific communities that need —
not simply want—to be included in the transportation planning process. Some are overburdened
and underserved and the department will use all its available resources to organize and conduct
the Small Group Meetings in the Communities of Concern. We will reach out to them rather than
waiting for them to come to us. See below for guidelines on these meetings:
• After review of the public engagement event, if it is determined that a group of people were
not afforded adequate opportunities to participate, the Community will be contacted to
inquire about possible participation methods.
• Unless unusual circumstances or safety concerns exist, the meeting will be held at a location
of the target group's choosing.
• Facilitation can be shared or relinquished to members of the community.
• Small group discussion formats may be integrated into larger group community meetings
and workshops. When this occurs, the smaller groups will be as diverse as the participants
in the room.
Community Surveying
• Opinion surveys will occasionally be used to obtain input from targeted groups or the general
community on transportation needs, the quality or costs of our services, and feedback on
our community outreach efforts.
• Surveys may be conducted via telephone, door-to-door canvassing, at community fairs, by
placing drop boxes in convenient locations like government facilities, or with assistance from
other local agencies like social services.
• Surveys will be translated into languages other than English, when appropriate.
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Public Hearings
Public hearings are held by the Board of County Commissioners to formally collect community
feedback and comments on a pending formal and final decision as required by state and/or
federal rules governing regulatory programs. Feedback will be documented and included in the
decision. All public hearings are governed by local, state, and federal regulations.
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STAFF WORKING GROUP
ADMINISTRATION
On July 1, 2023, the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization
transitioned the transit Staff Working Group administration duties to Orange and Durham
counties. The staff work group oversees the implementation of the Orange County Transit Multi-
Year Vision Plan (link). Each member jurisdiction in the Orange County staff work group
approved and signed the Comprehensive Participation Agreement which states:
WHEREAS, the Parties, and the Implementation Partners intend to implement an inclusive and
cooperative process to continuously develop and improve the Orange County Transit Multi-Year
Vision Plan. They will further develop a public involvement plan to guide the Parties' and staff
work group coordinated efforts for engagement aligned with federal, state and local policies and
guidelines.
Further clarification regarding the staff work group responsibilities for the annual Orange County
Transit Annual Work Program (section 3.04) state:
(f) An articulated strategy for incorporating or accounting for public outreach, involvement, and
communication with all components in the annual work program.
This section of the Plan is reviewed by the Orange Staff Work Group as a separate and
independent process specifically focused on the County's Transit tax through the Annual Work
Program and the Multi-Year Vision Plan. Each signatory of the Comprehensive Participation
Agreement strives to coordinate their public involvement practices through this staff work group
public involvement plan as approved.
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TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES
The department's public involvement plan complies with all with legal requirements when looking
for the right opportunities to improve community engagement and outreach efforts, especially in
underserved communities. These steps include:
• Distributing out to in all media formats when such public engagement events is determined.
• Creating social media and email messages to raise awareness for such events.
• Communicating with interested parties, like community members, and non-profit
organizations.
• Scheduling meetings at times and locations that are convenient, accessible, and inclusive.
• Posting flyers on all County facilities, including transit vehicles.
• Translate outreach material to Spanish and other languages
Community information materials are a key component of the community involvement process.
These materials are developed to provide summary information on the projects for the
community. Clear, non-technical descriptions without jargon are most effective. These materials
may include:
• Brochures, Flyers, and Newsletters
• Fact sheets and online components
• E-alerts and E-newsletters
• Web page updates
Visuals
The production of visual/graphic depictions are helpful in gaining community understanding of
complex and/or innovative projects. These visuals include:
• PowerPoint presentations, display boards
• Table-top displays, and maps
• Animations, simulations, videos
Social Medi
Orange County Transportation Services has expanded its public outreach through social media.
It uses Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to get others involved in all manner of transportation
planning and decision making. They are also used to keep the public informed of the status and
progress of various projects, all done in coordination with the department website. The
department follow strict social media policies and procedures to ensure everyone's safety while
reaching out to broader population.
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REACHING COMMUNITIES OF CONCERN
In Transportation —especially transit, a specific mode within the complete transportation network
— overburdened and underserved communities are technically called Communities of Concern
and identified through professional Environmental Justice analysis. This analysis uses
socioeconomic data from the U.S. Census, at the smallest geographic designation as
determined by the Census (e.g. block level), focusing on population groups such as:
• Minorities, Hispanics, and Elderly
• Low-income and Zero-Car Households
• Limited English Proficiency
Areas in Orange County designated as "Communities of Concern" are very important.
Department staff are keenly aware of various techniques to ensure that language, culture,
access, and economic barriers are addressed when project information is shared, and
community input is needed. The following section provides details on Orange County's
Environmental Justice analysis.
Enviroi ii mental Justice
As required by Federal Transit Administration Section C 4703.1, Environmental Justice analyses
will be conducted to determine if transportation programs, policies, or activities will result in
disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects on minority
populations and low-income populations. For Orange County, this applies to all transportation
projects, such as when planning, designing, constructing or modifying a transportation project,
or policies, such as when there will be a change in service, amenities or fares. The department
will look at various alternatives and seek input from potentially affected communities before
making a final decision. Demographic data will be collected to document their involvement in the
decision-making process. A thorough analyses involving public input, will remain on file, and
copies will be provided to local, state and federal agencies, upon request, especially during
compliance reviews or complaint investigations.
Orange County is a member of the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning
Organization, the Burlington-Graham Metropolitan Planning Organization, and Central Pine
Rural Planning Organization. The County's socioeconomic data is presented using best
Environmental Justice analysis practices and is included in the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro
Metropolitan Planning Organization board approved 2020 Environmental Justice Report. It is
also part of both Metropolitan Planning Organization long-range and fiscally constrained
Metropolitan Transportation Plans. The department's 2022 Title VI programs also incorporates
this critical resource.
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The department will collect and maintain socioeconomic data as published by the United States
Census Bureau American Community Survey on potential and actual beneficiaries of
transportation programs and services. This section is intended as a compilation of relevant
socioeconomic characteristics from Orange County overall service area. This data will provide
context to the Title VI nondiscrimination program, improve community outreach initiatives and
delivery of ongoing programs. Tables 1 — 8 below provide the socioeconomic description of
Orange County based on the latest American Community Survey 2020 data.
Total Male Female Not Hispanic/Latino
Population Hispanic/Latino
142938 68187 74751 130924 12014
White Black Native Asian Pacific Other Two or
American Islander More
106535 16557 784 11106 8 3707 4241
Under 5 Age 5 - Age 18 - Age 40 - Age 50 Age 60 Age 70 Median
17 39 49 - 59 -69 and Age
over
6593 21933 51100 18307 17763 16002 11240 38.268
Median MHHI age MHHI age MHHI age Total Individuals
Household 25 -44 45 - 64 65 and Population below
Income over for poverty
Poverty
$73,941.61 $79,013.44 $114,671.25 $69,951.15 131789 17633
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Employment In Labor Not in Civilian Employed Civilian Unemployed
age 16 and Force Labor
over Force
118152 76548 41604 73172 3353
Total Occupied Vacant Owner Renter Median
Housing HU HU Occupied Occupied Housing
Units Value
57502 52529 4973 32539 19990 $319,854.55
Travel Mode
Housing Units w/ No Vehicles 1 Vehicle 2 3 or more
Vehicles Vehicle Vehicles
52529 2644 17188 20311 12386
Total Commuters Car Truck or Alone Carpool
Van
71547 53304 48204 5100
Public Transit Motorcycle Bicycle Walked Other
5084 141 1323 4379 803
Adult Language
Population
(18 and
over)
Speak only English
114412
96408
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Also speak English
Speak Spanish Very Less than very Well Not Not at
Well well well all
7166 3506 3660 1168 1357 1135
Speak Indonesian
4344 3638 706 526 113 67
Speak Asian
5865 3281 2584 1748 626 210
Speak Other
629 525 104 104 0 0
Orange County Environmental Justice analysis methodology follows the same process as the
two Metropolitan Planning Organization's analysis. The "Communities of Concern" are defined
as a particular geographic area (US Census Block) where the percentage of the population
(minority, low-income, hispanic, zero-car, limited English proficiency, or elderly) is greater than
the county threshold for that same population. County thresholds for each population type were
developed and used as benchmarks for comparison. The thresholds were calculated by dividing
the particular population type over total population. Table 9 shows the Orange County specific
thresholds a Census Block must meet in order to be considered a Community of Concern.
Black Minority Hispanic/Latino Below Poverty Elderly Zero Car LEP
HH
12% 25% 8% 12% 13% 5% 2%
Any Census block in Orange County who's similar percentages meets or exceeds the threshold
is considered an Environmental Justice Community of Concern. This comparative analysis was
performed for each population group listed above to determine the locations of concentrated or
overlapping Communities of Concern. Block groups that met three or four thresholds are
considered more important Communities of Concern then those that only one or two.
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The determination of what is a "disproportionately high and adverse human health or
environmental effect" as discussed by Executive Order 12898 (link) is context dependent. The
approach used in the development of this Environmental Justice analysis to identify
Communities of Concern is only based on available block group data and the proportion of
protected populations that they contain. It is important to note that all transportation project
development processes will include additional efforts to utilize local knowledge of individual
neighborhoods to identify potential populations that might have been missed during this Census-
based analysis.
FIGURES 1 —7 illustrate Orange County's socioeconomic data by block group and identify which
ones meet the County's Environmental Justice thresholds. FIGURE 8 identifies the overlapping
Communities of Concern.
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Environmental Justice-County Level Analysis-Black
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Environmental Justice-County Level anatysis-Minority
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Environmental Justice-County Leel Analysis-HispaniclLatino
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Environmental Justice-County Level Ana sis-Below Poverty
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Environmental Justice-County Level lulatysis-Elderly
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Environ rnentaI Justice-County Level Analysis-Zero Car Household
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Environmental Justice-County Level Analysis-Limited English Proficiency(LEP)
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Environmental Justice-County Level Ana"is-Communities of Concern
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The department will identify resources within these Communities of Concern and implement all
public engagement techniques to ensure the whole community is involved in the transportation
decision-making process, which includes and is not limited to:
• Identify key community influencers who may be willing and able to partner in outreach efforts.
• Partner with organizations/associations, non-profit organizations and neighborhood groups.
• Invite members of key demographics like African American, Asian, Hispanic, Indian, and
other traditionally underserved communities.
• Target specialized media outlets and issuing press releases in a timely manner.
• Secure translators to assist at project meetings and to translate written material.
• Identify businesses, places of worship, community events, festivals, and cultural centers
• Adjust meeting dates, times, and locations to fit the work schedules and/or cultural behaviors.
• Consider mix of low- and high-tech ways to communicate. Reliance on email and web, for
example, as primary communications vehicles, may miss some elderly and low-income
households.
• Consider that project teams may have to address and overcome some lack of trust — and
fear — as it relates to government representatives. Continuity and regard for cultural
differences and communication in the appropriate language will help in these difficult
situations.
• Distribute invitation flyers within communities, including home mailings, libraries, stores, and
other places where residents are likely to see them.
• Provide email information to local Chambers of Commerce, Parent-Teacher Associations,
homeowners' associations and/or neighborhood groups.
• Share information with partner agencies for inclusion on their websites, community
calendars, etc.
• Identify additional fee-based activities may be needed (i.e., radio or on-line ads, printing
brochures, direct mail, video production, kiosks, etc.).
• Advertise on Mobile Apps/Mobile text
• Identify community events to host a table to distribute information.
Surveys and other New Tools
• Use social media to publicize meetings or events and to keep the community engaged and
updated on ongoing programs or projects.
• When appropriate, consider virtual community meetings that can reach a larger audience for
longer periods of time.
• Consider use of electronic town hall meetings allow large amounts of people to participate
from their homes. Typically done through a local cable channel broadcast a presentation is
given and a panel is available to answer questions the community submits by phone or web.
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• Identify where and when teleconferences would be helpful to provide broader access to
community meetings as well as widen the level of community involvement. They help save
time, money and resources spent on traveling to various locations.
• Identify games, contests, and other hands-on activities help generate "buzz" about
transportation projects.
• Implement and use a "one call" system that catalogs telephone numbers within a specified
area and is programmed to call with a pre-recorded reminder of upcoming community
meetings, times, and locations.
Knowledge gained from the community on transportation issues (e.g. problems and possible
solutions) helps guide the decision-making process. These issues on proposed project can be
generally categorized as potential:
• Environmental impacts, including concerns about increased traffic and air quality.
• Social impacts, including the integrity of existing community, cultural or recreational sites.
• Conflicts over the detriments/benefits of the project, like travel mode.
Becoming familiar with the dynamics of each transportation project is both a challenge and an
opportunity to deliver the best infrastructure improvement for the community and travelers it will
serve. The best way to achieve this is for project team members to be experts on the proposed
concept and design while being open and available to hearing the concerns of the community.
As transportation professionals, the department staff are aware of industry practices that guide
the decisions on project concepts and designs. In cases where addressing community concerns
would conflict with safety, standards, policies or cost-efficiencies, the community would still
benefit from knowing that their comments and concerns are taken seriously and incorporated
into the decision-making process; were willing to discuss and evaluate them; and that as a
steward of taxpayer dollars, the staff must also consider local, state, federal, and industry
parameters to guide our decisions.
Successful transportation projects, plans and programs are the result of meaningful community
engagement and truly reflect the communities and residents they were designed to serve. It is
at these times that the department will always find ways to inform the community of the results
of their input. These could include:
• Verbiage in project fact sheet/information letter on decision.
• Separate flyer on community impact on project decision.
• Visual/graphic/display board notifying community of decision made on their behalf.
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Measurements and Evaluations
Orange County Transportation recognizes the importance of measuring and evaluating its
community involvement effort based on the achievements of objectives and feedback from the
community. In addition, State and Metropolitan Planning Regulations also require a periodic
review of the effectiveness of community involvement processes. A periodic evaluation will be
completed following community outreach activities. Results from individual evaluations will be
used to refine subsequent involvement activities, with overall results incorporated into future
updates of the plan.
The department uses both quantitative and qualitative measures to evaluate the effectiveness
of community involvement activities associated with a particular plan, program, or project.
Appropriate measures for evaluating community involvement activities are currently limited, but
staff recognize that simple counts of the number of comments received on a particular issue and
attendance at a particular meeting are not adequate indicators of the effectiveness of the
community involvement effort. The department will continue to research and work with experts
in this area to develop better evaluation techniques and incorporate new measures. Current
analytical methods used to evaluate the effectiveness this plan include:
1. Attendance and expansion of mailing list
2. Website hits, Facebook and Twitter followers
3. Number of participants and responses received from advertisements
4. Listing of articles and the various publications where they appeared
1. Survey participants on their preferences concerning:
a. Overall thoughts of the activity
b. Timing of community involvement
c. Method and how often contact is made
d. Community's opinion on whether their involvement was meaningful
e. Meeting convenience: time, place, transit accessible, format and effectiveness
f. What improvements could be made
2. Survey selected staff concerning:
a. Did the format meet expectations?
b. Were questions/comments relevant/focused?
c. Was outreach tailored to specific community needs?
d. Were participant's able work toward an overall solution?
3. Demonstrate where community involvement impacts the project.
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4. Document all feedback and identify issues for future meetings.
Successfully implementing the plan requires standardized reporting procedures that allow for
including all community involvement and tracking outreach follow-up needs. All comments from
the community will be included in the appendix of the plan and in meeting packets to community
boards. Examples of standard public engagement reports are included in the appendix.
Monitoring and Evaluation
• Public engagement activities are evaluated and improvements are made
• Technology and resources continue to advance in efficiency and effectiveness
• Best practices from other places are discovered and applied to local context.
It ensures that decisions are made in consideration of and to benefit community needs and
preferences. Early and continuous community involvement brings diverse viewpoints and values
into the decision-making process. This process enables the department and County to make
better decisions through collaborative efforts, builds mutual understanding and trust between
agencies and the community we serve. Staff focuses on increasing community involvement in
decisions rather than on conducting participation activities because they are required to do so.
Timely responses to ideas from the community and allowing those ideas to inform decisions
shows the community we value their involvement.
Evaluation, both formal and informal, helps to measure, define, and improve community
involvement effectiveness. Feedback from people who participate in community involvement
events or processes often points out what works and what does not. Continuous reassessment
can lead to events and processes that are more meaningful for participants and contribute more
to transportation decision-making processes. Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of
community involvement is a critical step in developing successful strategies. The department will
monitor and evaluate the community involvement framework as listed below:
1. Monitoring and Evaluation of the effectiveness of the department plan will be undertaken
through annual internal reviews conducted by the Transportation Director. The monitoring
and evaluation period will coincide with the county's fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) and
a report (to include a revised plan if needed) will be produced by Oct. 31 of the following
fiscal year and submitted to the Board of County Commissioner for review.
2. The department's internal review will focus on the accuracy of the plan's implementation and
will include the following policies, processes, and information contained within the Plan:
a. Purpose and goal,
b. Legislative and technology changes,
c. Internal Orange County changes, whether structural or process oriented.
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d. Revisions to community involvement themes, techniques, and training.
e. Comments received from internal/external partners and the community; and
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IMPLEMENTATION
The following table is used to implement the Department's Public Involvement Plan.
Project Level
Activity
Locally Planning Design Construction
Administered
Written Materials
Reports ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Maps(Online and interactive) -- ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
In-Person Engagement
Public events ✓✓* ✓✓* ✓✓* --
Public hearing ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Presentations ✓✓* ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓*
Virtual Engagement
Website ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Social media ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Videos ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ --
Surveys ✓✓ ✓✓ -- --
Mailing list ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Newsletters/Brochures ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Virtual Meetings ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ --
Media and Ads
Press releases ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Ads ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ --
Diverse Engagement ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓
Respond to ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ --
Comments
In-person engagement is likely to vary between efforts based on need. For example, pop-up events may be better suited for goals
and objectives,whereas scheduled in-person meetings may be more beneficial for visual-centric items(i.e.alternatives mapping).
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Activity Descriptions
'*Af--:+ten Material°
• Reports — staff will produce legible documents with extensive visuals like charts, tables,
and graphs to present the materials. Long reports will have a summary. Materials will be
translated as necessary per department and County guidelines and procedures.
• Maps— staff will produce printed and electronic maps (e.g., PDFs), and interactive, online
maps that allow the user to zoom-in and zoom-out.
In-person engagement will be held at various locations throughout the County to ensure that
staff receive feedback from a variety of locales and socio-economic groups. To the extent
possible, staff will coordinate with the public engagement activities of other planning efforts in
the area. The Department activities will be held at locations that are accessible to persons with
disabilities and which are located on a transit route, to the extent feasible (some parts of the
planning areas do not have fixed-route transit service). If given advance notice prior to an event,
special provisions will be made, e.g., sign language, translator, etc.
In-person events — These events can have a variety of formats, including, but not limited to:
• Open houses in which community members are able to talk one-on-one with staff;
• Focus groups in which a facilitator helps to produce feedback;
• Charrettes or workshops that allow citizens to make hands-on contributions to design
elements or other project development elements; and,
• Pop-up events conducted at popular locations for targeted groups.
Public hearings — People can directly address the County Board.
Presentations — As appropriate, staff will make presentations and solicit feedback from the
elected officials and advisory commissions and committees of partner agencies and
municipalities, community organizations, and those identified among the target groups.
Website — The Department maintains a multifaceted website that provides wide range of local,
regional, and state transportation related information including staff contact. The Public will
primarily be oriented to this central website hosted by the County. The Department also house
more technical information specific to the County and can make information available upon
request.
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Social Media — The Department publishes public engagement opportunities through social
media such as Twitter/X and Facebook, and through the County's Communication Relation
Department.
Videos & Audio Files — Staff develops and publish explanatory videos to present products, e.g.,
plan alternatives, during the development of all public meetings through the County's and
Department websites.
Online Survey and Maps — As appropriate, staff will administer written and online surveys, and
crowdsource maps.
Mailing List—The Department maintains an email list of interested citizens based on the planning
processes of local jurisdictions, counties, regional agencies, and other related agencies (e.g.,
NCDOT, Central Pines Regional Council) for inclusion of these public engagement activities.
E-Newsletters and Brochures — The Department will publish newsletters or brochures for major
key events and decision points.
Call in meetings and/or Virtual Town Halls — Staff will host virtual meetings and endeavor to
replicate in-person activities online for key decision points, as appropriate. Such meetings would
be interactive to engage participants via meeting polling, and similar tactics. Online meetings (at
a minimum the staff presentations) will be recorded and posted on the website.
Press Releases — The Department will provide press releases to the County's Communication
Department for release to the public and media.
Ads — The Department will publish a notice in major newspapers, and other local, minority, or
alternative language newspapers, as appropriate, to notify the public of engagement
opportunities. If deemed effective, outdoor advertising can be used.
The Department will endeavor to engage people from all member jurisdictions, multi-modal
transportation groups, neighborhood and community groups, and local and state agencies
responsible for environmental protection, conservation, land use management, natural
resources and historic preservation. The Department realizes that more equitable engagement
by making special, targeted efforts must include people from the environmental justice
communities including minority, low-income, limited English proficient, and elderly persons.
Staff will document both oral and written public comments received during the course of public
engagement and make those comments available to the County advisory board and
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Commissioners as well as the public. As needed, staff will summarize comments, and in some
cases directly respond to significant or popular comments.
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AMENDMENT
This is a living document that evolves with changing technology, as additional resources become
available, new government regulations and innovative processes for public engagement are
implemented. Some can be done administratively by staff as they learn new skills, plans, policies
and programs advancing the plans goals and objectives. Some changes may require formal
approval in order to obtain the necessary resources to implement new technology and innovative
practices. This plan allows for Minor and Major Amendments, their definition and process are
illustrated below:
Minor Amendment:
• Graphic, text, or other clarifications to simplify understanding and improve legality.
• Detail explanations on action steps necessary for effective implementation of the plan.
Staff, Orange Unified Transportation Board (OUTBoard), Transportation Advisory Service
(TAS), and local departments will periodically review the approved plan for any minor
amendments and compile a list for the Department's consideration. The itemized list will be
included as an appendix to the document with the appropriate responses and changes.
major iAmenaments,
• Addition or changes to technology, funding, resources, regulations and process.
• Public initiated request or findings from Monitor and Evaluation recommending changes.
Staff will conduct thorough research, draft a report, and prepare a major amendment to the plan.
The amendment will be presented to the Transportation Advisory Services (TAS) for their
recommendations. The amended plan will go before the public through the Orange Unified
Transportation Board and Board of County Commissioners for final approval.
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APPENDIX
Definitions
Environmental Justice
A federal policy that protects minority and low-income populations from experiencing
disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of federally funded
programs, policies, and activities
MPO
Metropolitan Planning Organization. Comprised of county road commissions, cities, villages,
townships, and transit agencies in an area having a population more than 50,000.
Multimodal
Trips involving multiple modes of transportation including automobile, bus, train, boat, bicycle,
pedestrian, and airplane.
North Carolina Department of Transportation. The North Carolina Department of
Transportation's (NCDOT) mission is to provide a safe and efficient transportation system for
the state. This is accomplished through building and maintaining roads and bridges as well as
providing intermodal and freight services to the citizens of the state.
Stakeholders
A person or group of people who affects or can be affected by transportation decisions or actions.
Resources
• Metropolitan Planning Organization Public Involvement Plan (link)
• 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan Public Involvement Plan (link)
• North Carolina Department of Transportation Public Involvement Plan (link)
• Environmental Protection Agency Public Involvement Plan Template (link)
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